“You wanna piece of me, boy?”
Localizing the Launch of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty into Bulgarian
(the best-selling strategy game of all time)
The Client
After many years of work, Blizzard Entertainment, a titan in the gaming industry, known for its blockbuster franchises, was preparing to release Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, one of the most anticipated real-time strategy games of all time.
The Project
The project involved the localization of marketing materials and the game manual for the Bulgarian market during the crucial pre-release phase. This task was not only high-profile but also highly confidential, as any leaks could have significant implications for the game’s global success.
The Challenges
- Confidentiality and Security: Due to the game’s high anticipation and competitive implications, the project required utmost confidentiality. Only one Bulgarian linguist could get approval for limited access to the game’s content, which was essential for accurate localization.
- Highest-Quality Expectations: As an AAA title, Starcraft II’s localization needed to meet exceptionally high standards as it would appear on the printed game box cover and the manual within—a first impression for many gamers.
- Lack of Pre-existing Material: Unlike other projects, digital downloads and extensive online resources were not available, making firsthand experience with the game crucial for understanding its context and terminology.
Our Solutions
To meet these challenges, we employed several innovative approaches:
- Throwback Time: Our founder played through the game’s predecessor, StarCraft: Brood War, for a few dozen hours to awaken the feeling of the game and its universe, in preparation for…
- Exclusive On-site Research: Then, our founder was vetted and invited to travel to the UK to participate in a strictly confidential, lock-your-phone-away type of test play of Starcraft II’s alpha version. This session was critical for gaining an in-depth understanding of the game’s units, storyline, and overall feel.
- Transcreation and Localization: Leveraging insights gained from the top-secret gameplay experience, our founder took on the task of transcreating the game’s lore and localizing the manual into Bulgarian. This process ensured that the translations were not only accurate but also resonant with the game’s epic narrative and complex universe.
The Results
The localized materials were instrumental in the successful Bulgarian launch of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. They provided Bulgarian-speaking players with a tailored, native-language experience that was true to the original vision of Blizzard Entertainment, straight from the shelf. (In a time when GameSpot was more than just a meme stock and games were actually sold in stores, on shelves ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.) The project underscored our capability to handle sensitive, high-stakes localization tasks, elevating our client’s trust in us to new heights.